Langate family demands body of thier son

Publish Date: 12-08-18 12:33 PM

Srinagar: Langate family, which claimed that their missing son was among the five militants killed in a gunfight with forces in Rafiabad forests in Baramula district, on Saturday demanded that body of their kin be handed over to them.

The family claimed that they identified their kin Muzaffar Ahmad Mir, 22, son of Bashir Ahmad Mir, of Langate, through pictures displayed on social networking sites soon after the gun battle ended. “A stranger also approached us and informed us that our son is among the five militants killed in Rafiabad gunfight,” family members said.

They said that bodies of the killed militants have been buried at Hamam Rafiabad. They demanded immediate exhumation of Muzaffar’s body so that their claim is established. “Muzaffar left home on August 5 evening without informing anyone. We later lodged a missing complaint at police post Langate,” they said.

“Our son has no adverse report against him in any police station,” said Muhammad Iqbal Mir, Muzaffar s uncle.

“We fail to understand how come our son was part of the group which had infiltrated into Rafiabad?” he added.

They said that it was on August 5 that forces claimed that they received information about the presence of militants in the Rafiabad forests. “They (forces) claimed that the group had infiltrated recently from across the Line of Control. However, if our son went missing on August 5, then how come he was a part of the group?” the family members asked.

“The searches in Rafiabad forests lasted for four days, from August 5 to 9, as per army. Our son went missing on August 5. How it is possible that he has gone to Pakistan completed arms training and returned within four days?” Iqbal asked.

Deputy commissioner Kupwara Khalid Jahangir while talking to Greater Kashmir said, “We have already collected the DNA sample which will be sent to a laboratory. If family claim matches with the DNA test then a due procedure will be followed. However, merely on an assumption that someone informed the family that their missing son is among the killed militants, body cannot be exhumed.”

Meanwhile, Langate observed a complete on Saturday to express solidarity with the bereaved family.

It may be recalled that Army on Friday during a press conference on Friday had said that five militants who were killed during a gun battle in Rafiabad forests on Thursday were affiliated with militant outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba and were foreigners.